


Blueming

by ChaseTheSun



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F, No beta I did like the idiot I am, tattooistxflorist, the only fluffy thing I have ever written, wenseul - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:33:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24716116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaseTheSun/pseuds/ChaseTheSun
Summary: wenseul tattooist x florist au
Relationships: Kang Seulgi/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 76





	Blueming

Seulgi pushes the door to Shon’s flowers open a little too hard, she knows this because she hears the bells clang a cacophony of bangs against the door. Grandpa Shon and Grandma Shon have never told her off, but she still knows it’s not something she should do often. 

But she’s finally done it! It had taken the better half of a year and many, many sleepless nights, but she has it! The perfect design for Shon’s Flowers! A revised monoline font and a flower crown to replace the o’s! Cute, quirky, and classy at the same time! She can’t want to see the look on Grandpa Shon’s face!

They’ve been shop neighbours for years, ever since she and Sooyoung started up their tattoo business after finishing their apprenticeships. Grandpa and Grandma Shon have always been a pillar of support and love and Seulgi adores them.

‘Grandpa Shon! I’ve got it!’ Seulgi huffs. She did run all the way from her shop, after all. It’s only across the road and she tells herself that it’s the excitement making her lungs heave, and not lack of exercise. 

‘Got what?’ It’s not Grandpa or Grandma Shon. It’s a pretty girl in the mint green lower shop apron (with Seulgi’s smiling windflower design on the breast pocket). She’s holding a massive pot of red flowers and is currently peering around them to get a glimpse of Seulgi.

‘Pretty.’

‘What?’ 

Seulgi feels herself turn massive-pot-of-flowers red and stutters out a goodbye before excusing herself. “G-goodbye! I’ll come back later! Farewell!” She runs out of the shop like she’s deathly allergic to pollen and doesn’t stop sprinting until she’s across the road and inside her own. 

There, she falls to her knees, crawls behind the counter, and uses it to shield herself while she screams silently into her hands.

The familiar buzzing of the needle comforts Seulgi, the look on Joy’s face as she speaks does not. 

‘So you burst into the shop like a maniac, made a fool of yourself in front of the girl, and then ran out like the maniac she probably thinks you are?’ Joy doesn’t look away from the patch of skin she’s currently tattooing, consummate professional that she is.

Seulgi has never seen her look away once. Which is great. Joy’s concentration is really something else

‘Yes. Let me live. She probably thinks I’m super weird.’

‘Was she pretty? Did you make a fool of yourself in front of a pretty girl again?’ Joy asks, sounding amused.

Seulgi thinks back to the girl’s large, expressive eyes and the almost comically large pot of flowers she had in her hands. Then she grits her teeth and straight out lies. ‘I didn’t notice. And don’t say it like I do that regularly.’

‘But you do.’

‘She’s lying, her ears are red.’ Joy’s current client chips in. 

‘Krystal? You’re back again? Do you even have free skin at this point?’ Seulgi’s pretty sure it’s the fifth time she’s seen Krystal this month. 

‘I can’t help it. It was buy ten get one free and I’m an addict.’ Krystal doesn’t look up from her phone and she sounds completely deadpan. Seulgi isn’t sure if she’s joking.

Seulgi doesn’t remember any sort of promotion like that, but Joy tends to spring stuff like this all the time, so she can’t be sure. She turns to Joy and raises a tentative eyebrow.

‘No. We don’t have that kind of thing, we’re not Starbucks,” Joy says, tracing the edge of the newly formed battle-axe.

Seulgi narrows her eyes and glares at Krystal. 

‘You’re like a puppy that’s trying to bark at a car. It’s cute but not intimidating at all. Not to mention you’re hiding behind the counter.’ She still isn’t looking up and Seulgi doesn’t know how she does it? Maybe she has really good peripheral vision? 

‘I don’t want pretty flower girl to see me ok?’

‘Hah. So she was pretty.’

‘Knew it.’

Krystal and Joy snigger silently to themselves .

‘S-shut up!’ Seulgi can feel her cheeks heat up and just knows she’s turning a weird, blotchy red. She rubs at her knees, trying to get the pins and needles to pass. 

‘Seulgi.’

Seulgi sighs and resigns herself to more teasing. 'Yes Joy?’

‘You do know the windows are tinted right and one-way right? So our clients are comfortable getting their kit off so we can ink them?’

‘Oh.’

‘Pretty sure pretty girl fried her brain. That or the embarrassment did.’ 

‘Hush, Krystal! Why are you even here?’

‘I’m getting a tattoo. I thought that was evident.’

‘I mean, why are you here so much?’

‘My favourite girl’s here, where else am I supposed to go.’

Joy actually looks away from Krystal’s bicep and mumbles something before heading to the back.

Seulgi follows her with her eyes, trying to see what she’s getting up to. ‘Is Joy ok? She’s looking kinda flustered?’

‘Don’t worry, I’m just smooth.’

‘What?’

‘Don’t worry.’

Seulgi is scoffing ramen in the backroom like some sort of starving, prehistoric cave-dweller when Joy calls for her.

She keeps her focus on her little folded-ramen-lid-bowl of noodles and when she looks up, chopsticks in hand and noodles hanging from her mouth like the deep sea creature she isn’t, she sees her. Pretty flower girl.

Oh god. Joy probably let her in. And then called her out. That absolute traitor! Seulgi is never going to trust her again. 

'Hnngahafk!' She makes a shocked gurgle that sounds alien before swallowing her noodles frantically. 

They clog up her windpipe. Seulgi regrets it, immediately.

‘Oh my god, are you alright?!’ Pretty flower girl rushes forward and starts to pound Seulgi’s back with a closed fist.

Magically, the noodles dislodge and Seulgi takes in lungfuls of live-giving air. 

‘Yes,’ Seulgi wheezes out. She rubs at her sternum and coughs a few times. ‘Yes,’ she repeats, this time sounding less like a chain-smoker.

Pretty flower girl smiles so brightly that Seulgi thinks it could make flowers grow.

‘What can make flowers grow?’ Pretty flower girl smiles impishly with her tongue between her teeth and Seulgi’s heart skips a beat. She really hopes she didn’t say it _all_ out loud.

‘Florists! Hello Miss Florist! Thank you for saving me! I owe you my life!’ Seulgi places her palms behind her and leans back onto the fold-out-table, in a cool, suave manner, she thinks.

‘It’s nothing. It’s fine. Don’t mention it, Seulgi,’ she says, tinting a soft pink.

Seulgi thinks she’s never heard her name said so gently before. Every syllable sounds like it’s drifting on a cloud and she just wants to float along with them. Wait. Hold up. ‘You know my name?’ It comes out as an undignified screech and She wishes that the noodles had knocked her out.

‘Yes. Joy told me.’ 

Joy sure likes divulging things doesn’t she?

‘Well, Miss Florist, since you already know me,what’s your name? I can’t keep calling you Pretty Flower Girl in my head,’ Seulgi says, looking up towards the ceiling and feeling her cheeks heat up. 

Guess her mouth is a traitor too.

‘Seungwan,’ Seungwan says, looking down and turning a darker shade of pink.

Joy finds them, standing there, silent and pinking, avoiding each other’s eyes. She rolls hers. ‘I need to dig through the supplies, would you guys mind heading out?’

‘So BBT?’ Seungwan points to the banner on the walls. ‘Bubble tea?’

One of the reasons that they’ve changed their shop sign is that twenty-five-year-old Seulgi had cringed at eighteen-year-old-Seulgi’s naming skills. ‘No. It stands for Bad Bear Tattoos. That’s our mascot Seulbear,’ she says, pointing at the bear in an apron and flower crown that’s spray painted onto the walls. ‘She’s supposed to be me.’ Seulgi just knows her ears are turning red at the embarrassing admission.

Seungwan stares intently at Seulbear for a minute before turning back to Seulgi. ‘Seulbear is adorable.’

Seulgi pouts. Because Seulbear is not adorable. She’s got a tattoo gun and an apron and- ‘She’s supposed to be badass.’

Seungwan stares at her pouting… And then with the greasiest voice Seulgi has never heard and the _smirkiest_ smirk, ‘She’s _definitely_ cute.’

Seulgi feels all the blood rushing to her face and kicks at the floor with the toe of her boot. Stupid, greasy, pretty flower girl. 

‘Don’t say Seulbear is cute, Seulgi hates it when people say that. It’s her second most hated thing.’ Joy chimes in from behind the folding screen where she's with an unseen customer.

‘Yea. She sulks for ages.’ Nevermind, it’s just Krystal.

Seungwan apologises immediately, ‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s fine.’

‘No, I’m sorry.’

‘It's fine if _you_ think Seulbear is cute.’ Seulgi kicks the floor again and tries to follow the maddening spiral pattern that’s on the tiles.

She doesn’t see Seungwan redden to match the alarming shade she’s already sporting.

‘So, what’s the thing you hate the most? If people saying Seulbear is cute is what you hate second most.’

Seulgi doesn’t look up from the tile. ‘When people use raisins instead of chocolate chips. It’s misleading and mean and it’s like the cookies are catfishing me.’ 

‘Wouldn’t that be bearfishing.’

‘What?’ Seulgi looks up

‘What?’ Seungwan looks back at her with feigned innocence.

Seulgi rubs her bleary eyes and tries to insert the key into the lock.

Tries. Fails.

Tries. Fails.

Tri- The door slides open and Krystal’s head pops out. ‘It was funny to watch, then it got sad. Good morning sleepy head.’

‘Morning.’ Seulgi is not a morning person. She rubs her eyes harder, as if that will make her sleepiness go away faster.

‘Pretty flower girl left you something.’

All of Seulgi’s sleepiness evaporates.

There’s a paper box sitting on the counter with one of those little note cards attached. It’s one of those modular origami ones that appears to be constructed of about twenty separate pieces and Seulgi marvels at the intricacy. 

To: Seulgi

I think I’m going to catch a bear. (Don’t worry they’re not raisins. I made sure to use choc chips for you.) 

From: Pretty flower girl (XXXX XXXX)

Seulgi takes the lid off and finds herself staring at...bears?

Seungwan has baked little bear-shaped cookies, with a smart little bowtie made of icing and a row of neat little buttons. 

The bear’s eyes are choc chip and the buttons are mini m&ms.

Seulgi thinks they look too cute to eat.

Then Joy picks one up and decapitates it with her teeth. ‘Mmm... Delicious, crunchy, good mouthfeel. And the aftertaste…hmm...Do I detect a hint of flirting?’

Seulgi grabs the remainder of the cookies and sequesters herself in the back room. She’s going to take some photos so she won’t ever forget how cute they look.

Later, she’ll take a bite. And think that Joy may be right 

Even later, she posts those cookies on insta because she never wants to forget how cute they looked, and as Joy said before, if it’s on the internet it’ll live forever.

@bbt.bbt

[Delicious cookies from Pretty Flower Girl (◠‿◠✿)] 

@ink_in_your_area: is that what you saved her number under?

@bbt.bbt: NO!

@lil_jung: you so did

@bbt.bbt: HUSH

Seulgi texts Seungwan the moment she gets home. 

Seulgi: Heeeey Seungwan! Thanks for the cookies! They’re the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten! ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ／

Seungwan: I’m glad you like them :) Did you enjoy the chocolate chips?

Seulgi: They were the best part!:D The bears had such cute little hands too! I wanted to hold them so badly!

Seungwan: Yes, I know _exactly_ how you feel.

Seulgi: How did you italicise your message? ʕ ᵒ ᴥ ᵒʔ

Seungwan: That’s that part you pick up on?

Seulgi: ????

Seungwan: Those emoticons are almost as cute as you.

Seulgi: They w-what? 

Seungwan: Don’t send a shocked bear.

Seulgi: How about a shy bear ʕノ)ᴥ(ヾʔ

Seungwan: c u t e

The texts start and they don’t stop.

Seugi finds out that Seungwan is a Son and that she’s helping out Grandpa and Grandma Shon at the flower shop. And that’s she’s recently returned from studying abroad. Son Seungwan. Son Seungwan. Son Seungwan. Her name pops like bubble gum in Seulgi’s mouth.

She always finds out that Seungwan is greasier than butter.

If I were the bear would you be _my_ honey?

If we went stargazing I would only look at you.

If _you_ held my hand I would never let go.

Seungwan never tells her how she italacises her messages though.

Sometimes Seulgi would look up from smiling at Seungwan’s flirty messages to see Seugwan smiling at her from outside the shop. Seulgi knows that there’s no way Seungwan can see inside and that she might as well be smiling at her own reflection. But something about the way she winks at the glass makes her blush anyway.

Seulgi likes talking to Seungwan. Likes messaging her about movies and pets and travelling and the best type of meat to use for bbq. Seulgi likes the lightness that’s between them, the way talking to Seungwan makes her feel like they’re weightless and they’ve known each other a lifetime and more. 

Seungwan fits in her life like she belongs there, and Seulg can’t fathom how she’s lasted so long without her.

Seulgi stretches and hears all the bones in her body rearrange themselves into their natural positions, cracking in relief. She’d been hunched over her sketchpad, squinting and waiting for motivation to overtake her, for the last couple of hours. She’d managed to get a few heart theme designs onto paper, but at the expense of her posture.

Well it’s not that surprising. An artist with decent posture? Seulgi hasn’t heard or seen of any. It’s probably an urban myth. 

When she sees a blur of yellow in the corner of her eye, she hunches back over and tilts her sketchpad up so that she can surreptitiously peer over it.

Seungwan is arranging flower displays outside the flower shop and Seulgi watches as she moves a garishly decorated vase from spot to spot, making faces and squaring her hands like she’s framing a shot. Seungwan makes a dissatisfied face and moves the vase yet again and Seulgi watches the lines of her bicep contract and flex and wow Seungwan has really nice arms. Must be all the flowering-moving. Then she looks put-out and picks up the vase for the nth time.

There’s a sudden, strong wind and Seungwan is sliding backwards, dress billowing, mouth open in shock as she attempts to dig her heels into the concrete and resist the force of the wind. Seulgi watches her grit her teeth and slide backwards, arms still clutching the vase.

She’s out the door before she knows it, ignoring Joy’s indignant ‘Seulgi!’ as the door slams harshly against its frame. There’s only one thought inside her head and it’s _Seungwan, Seungwan, Seungwan,_ on loop. Tiny Seungwan with her giant vase fighting against the freakingly strong wind. Seulgi is willing to throw down with Mother Nature herself, if it means keeping Seungwan safe.

It’s part tackle and part grab but somehow the force of her colliding with Seungwan and wrapping her arms around that tiny body (with vase) has them stumbling into Shon’s flowers, Seungwan (and vase) intact. 

Seulgi has never been so glad to hear the bells slam outrageously against the door.

The bells let out one long, final peal and when Seulgi is done blinking the sound of her ears, she’s aware that her arms are still wrapped around Seungwan’s shoulders (and by extension, the vase). She drops her hands and steps back, silently cursing when they brush the hauntingly smooth skin of Seungwa’s arms and. Oh god she’s going to think about how soft Seungwan’s skin is forever. Oh god. 

Seungwan is looking at her with her mouth hanging open and Seulgi resists the urge to use a finger and gently, very gently tilt Seungwan’s perfect mouth closed. Instead she stares at Seungwan’s teeth. They’re perfect, too. Like the rest of Seungwan. 

‘Seulgi…’ Seungwan stares at her. Same look in her eyes as always, same tilt to her head, but there’s something about the corner of her mouth that's so interesting to Seulgi and she can’t but lean forward a little. In that moment, Seungwan encompasses her entire universe of thought and all Seulgi can do is be drawn into her gravity.

She steps forward and a vase slams into her chest. 

Seulgi stumbles backwards and braces herself on the counter. She doesn’t know if she walked into the vase or if Seungwan had used it as a Seulgi-deterrent. She’s not going to ask.

‘Seulgi! Are you okay?’ Seungwan finally puts that damned vase down and peers up at Seulgi’s face with a concerned furrow in her brow. Tiny, and impossibly gentle hands cup her chin and Seulgi’s mouth spills out words without any input from her brain.

‘The vase didn’t hit me in the face? Vase...face...wait am I pronouncing vase right?’ 

Seungwan’s hands slide from her chin to her cheeks and Seulgi watches her get onto her tiptoes so that she can look Seulgi in the eye. ‘Are you sure it didn’t hit you in the head? You’re not making sense?’

‘Nothing makes sense when you’re with me.’

Seulgi can’t meet Seungwan’s gaze, hopes her hands can’t feel the heat she can feel in her cheeks.

‘Seulgi.... I-’, before Seungwan can continue with her sentence, and shatter Seulgi into a million little pieces, they’re interrupted by a crack of thunder and a sudden onset of rain and Seulgi apologies to Mother Nature and thanks her for giving her this Out.

Seungwan looks at her with a question on the edge of her tongue and there’s a thousand possibilities between them in that moment and Seulgi opts for the one she knows is the safest. ‘I’ll help you bring the flowers in!’ 

She rushes into the pouring rain without a second thought and hopes that Seungwan won’t think she’s a coward.

What they have is delicate, light, like a dandelion. All it takes is one unwanted confession, a single disruption to the air between them and everything between could shatter into a hundred different pieces and float away. 

Seugi had wanted to kiss Seungwan, for a brief, terrifying moment. Seulgi would have kissed Seungwan if a vase hadn’t slammed into her chest. 

And the thought terrifies her. 

She knows that she likes Seungwan, yes. But had thought it was because Seungan was kind and sweet and understanding. Because Seungwan fits into the Seungwan-shaped void that had been there her entire life. Because she likes making Seungwan laugh, and sending her videos of kittens in unexpected places. 

Not because she wants to kiss her.

Oh god, Seulgi wants to kiss her.

  
  


Seungwan: Did you have a favourite flower?

Seulgi: Yes. And also a favourite florist.

Seungwan: What flower? And who? 👀

Seulgi: I’ve always loved sunflowers, always wanted one too! But they’re so big it’s super cumbersome. And, you might know her.

Seungwan: Don’t you mean cumBEARsome? And I might? 🤔

Seulgi: ʅʕ•ᴥ•ʔʃ

Seungwan: Meanie

  
  
  
  


She sits with Seungwan near the counter as they listen to Joy and Krystal bicker. Joy’s inking Krystal. Again. Seulgi is pretty sure that Krystal has dropped by every single day this week.

If she isn’t getting tattooed, she’s getting a coffee with Joy. If she’s not getting Starbucks with Joy, she’s watching Netflix with Joy. And if she’s not in the shop, Joy’s staring morosely out the window. Those two are so weird. Whatever. Enough about those two and more about Seungwan.

‘If you’re here, who’s looking after the shop?’

Seungwan looks surprised at her question and a little sheepish. ‘Well our shops are opposite each other so I can always run back when I see a customer. Not that there’s many. Sales usually peak Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Oh god, it’s almost V-Day.’

‘Valentine’s Day is soon?’

‘It’s in a month!’ 

‘Ah.’ 

‘Yeah.’

‘D-do you have any p-plans?’

‘I’ll be working at the flower shop. Super single and all.’

‘Yea?’

‘Yes. How about you?’

‘Me?’

‘V-Day plans?'

‘Ah. Well, we were planning on doing a flash day.’

‘What’s a “Flash Day”?’

‘Well, we do a sheet or two of designs and then it’s first-come-first-serve. It’s cheaper than custom pieces. 

‘Usually they do it for Valentine’s Day or to fundraise for charities. They give seventy-five percent to charities and keep twenty-five for themselves.’ Krystal helpfully supplies from her bench.

‘Krystal’s been coming here for years, so she knows a lot about us.’

‘And I’ll keep coming until I’m all out of skin space.’

‘Stop calling it skin space, it sounds creepy.’ Joy sounds too amused for her to really mean it.

‘Skin space.’

‘Gah!’ Joy sounds even more amused.

‘It does sound a little creepy.’ Seungwan confides to her in a near whisper.

‘I know right? But yes, Valentine’s Day flash sheets. I’m thinking of doing some geometric hearts, complex one light hearts, and maybe some heart outlines with a watercolor effect to fill.’ Seulgi thinks that maybe she could even do hearts with an arrow through them. People generally think they’re pretty tacky. But she thinks they’re cute. If the lines are just right. Not that she’ll ever admit it to Joy.

‘I don’t think I’ve asked you guys yet. But what kind of tattoos do you do?’

‘Seulgi does dot work, pet portraits but sometimes other things, and line art and one line tattoos. Joy does florals and artistic scrawls. She’s that instagram art hoe that sells someone’s name for $150.’ Krystal, supplies once again.

‘And she’s proud of it,’ Joy says, tossing her hair for dramatic effect. ‘This art hoe is going to be doing quote- ‘ Joy stops here to make finger quotes, possibly also for dramatic effect, ‘classic romantic phrases’, another finger quote, ‘unquote along with roses, either single or in a tasteful bouquet, and various flowers.’

Seungwan lights up at the mention of florals. Because, florist. Or so Seulgi assumes. Her smile brightens up the dark decor of the parlour and Seulgi thinks that she’s so much better than a lamp or an open window. She’s like a miniature sun and Seulgi just wants to slip her into a pocket and carry her around. Like some kind of portable charger. A portable Seungwan? 

She also really wants to kiss her. But she tamps that thought down.

‘What are all your handles? Mine is @sunflora’

‘Mine is @ink_in_your_area, Seul’s is@bbt.bbt. Oh and Kry’s is lil_jung.’ 

‘Bad bear tattoos? ’

‘It’s- 

‘It’s Bad Bear Tattoos, Bad Bear Tattooist.’ Seulgi cuts Joy off. There’s no way she’s going to admit it’s “Bad Bear Tattoos, Baby Bear Tattooist”. Ever.

‘Sweet. Maybe I’ll stalk y’all later.’ Seungwan fires off some finger guns and god, could she get any cuter, Seulgi thinks. ‘But yes, did you have plans after?’

‘After? Today?’ Seulgi isn’t too sure what she’s asking.

‘After V-day flash day?’

‘She does not, she’s _also_ super single.’ Joy thinks she’s being subtle, kicking Seungwan under the table like that, but her shoes scrape Seulgi’s calf and Seungwan can’t quite hide her wince in time.

‘Super sweet.’ It’s not as greasy as the finger guns and Seulgi swears there’s a soft look in Seungwan’s eye.

‘Not that either of you care, but I’m going to a romantic Valentine’s dinner with a beautiful woman after flash day,’ Joy says.

‘What? Who are you going with? You didn’t say anything about a woman! And we’re best friends! And roommates! And co-workers?’ 

Seugi needs to find out who this girl is and make sure she doesn’t break Joy’s heart. She knows that Joy’s brave and toughened exterior hides the softest, sweetest girl. She needs to give Joy’s date a talking to. Now.

Joy rolls her eyes. ‘Don’t worry you’ve already met her.’

Seulgi has not “met her”. ‘What?! No! I need more info!’

Krystal and Joy snort. 

Seungwan snickers silently. ‘Seulgi…’

‘What!?’

  
  
  


Seungwan: So what did you save my contact as?

Seulgi: uhhh...why do you wanna know?

Seungwan: I just want to.

Seulgi: Guess!

Seungwan: Pretty Flower Girl (◠‿◠✿) ?

Seulgi: ʕᴥ• ʔ☝

Seungwan: FYI, I saved you as Beary Cute

Seulgi: h sdsad aasdsa!asdajdsaads

Seungwan: and now I’ve rendered you speechless with my smoothness

Seulgi: You wish you were that smooth.

Seungwan: I know I am ;)

Seulgi is putting the finishing touches on a dotwork pet portrait (a dog named ‘Duck’) when there’s a sneeze from behind her.

  
‘Damn.’

She turns to find a furtive-looking Seungwan with iced teas in hand.

‘Heeey.’

‘You weren’t sneaking up on me because Joy told you I squeal when cold things are pressed against the back of my neck, right?’

‘I would never!’ Seungwan says with innocent looking eyes, and Seulgi would believe her if Joy wasn’t slipping a smirking Krystal a twenty right behind her.

‘Sure you weren’t.’

‘Damn right I wasn’t. Here, I got you your favourite!’ 

‘Thanks.’ 

‘No prob- ACK’ Seungwan sneezes mid-sentence, nose scrunching and Seulgi really should not find it cute, but she does anyway.

Seungwan is in yet another sundress and Seulgi can see the minute trembling of her arms. She sets her tea on the counter and slips off her hoodie.

‘You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t add another layer! I’d turn the heat on, but it’s not working and the technician keeps rescheduling because his car keeps breaking down.’ Seulgi gently, always gentle with Seungwan, takes the tea from Seungwan’s hands and places it next to her. ‘Arms up!’ 

Seungwan blinks at her, slow and measured, before her lips twitch and she raises her arms. 

Seulgi steps close, gathering the material of her hoodie up so that it’ll fit over Seungwan’s head and torso readily, and holds it up. Then she blinks, wait, this isn’t going to work. She opens her mouth, but before she can get a word out, Seungwan drops her arms, ducks under hoodie, raises her arms again and then pops into it like something they’ve practiced to perfection.

Seungwan straightens up and Seulgi finds that her hands are on Seungwan’s shoulder, still gripping the fabric. Seungwan looks vibrant in Seulgi’s favourite shade of red, in Seulgi’s favourite hoodie and Seulgi’s breath hitches when Seungwan winds her arms around her neck and gets onto her tip toes and Seulgi can see the different shades or brown in her eyes and wow they must look so pretty in sunlight and Seungwan gets close enough for their noses to almost brush and-

‘KANG SEULGI, I TURNED EIGHTEEN TODAY! IT’S FREE TATTOO TIME!’

Seungwan lowers herself back down with a snort, burying her face into Seulgi’s neck and Seulgi is so torn between mortification and satisfaction that she thinks that she just developed a split personality. But Seungwan’s arms are still around her neck and they’re so close that when Seungwan giggles Seulgi can feel them tickle at her throat.

Seulgi lowers her hands down to Seungwan’s waist and melts a little when Seungwan shifts closer.

‘HOLY SHIT DID YOU GET A GIRLFRIEND?’

Seulgi turns her head, slowly, intimidatingly, to glare at Kim Yerim, who just beams back at her. 

She’s glad that Seungwan is burrowed into her and can’t see Krystal’s dropped jaw and Joy snatching her money back. 

Seulgi wants to message Seungwan but she’s sure what to say. So she settles on opening and closing their chat and hoping that Seungwan will message her.

Joy: Hey are you staring at your messages and not messaging Seungwan?

Seulgi: Get out of my head.

Joy: Try browsing insta, might give you THOTS

Seulgi: What ʕ·ᴥ· ʔ ʕ ·ᴥ·ʔ

Joy: Insta, now.

Seulgi shrugs and does it, because Joy’s always been mysterious, but fun, so, there’s really nothing to lose.

There’s Seungwan in Seugi’s hoodie, looking cuter than ever, holding a little earthenware pot that’s shaped like a bear’s head. 

[Today I discovered chivalry isn’t dead]

Seulgi knows what she wants Seungwan to refer to. Thinks she knows what Seungwan is referring to. But her hands still hover over her keyboard, hesitant to put her wants and thoughts into words.

So, Joy does it for her, as always.

Joy: Yes, it’s about you, and yes I take ‘thank yous’ in drinks.

@sunflora

[Today I discovered chivalry isn’t dead]

@bbt.bbt: only for you ᕦʕ •ᴥ•ʔᕤ

Joy: YES, KRYSTAL OWES ME RAMEN

Seulgi: SHE WHAT NOW?!ʕ •`ᴥ•´ʔ

Joy: Sorry I can’t hear you, our connection is breaking up!

Seulgi: We’re texting! Joy? JOY??

Joy: [crackling sounds]

Seulgi: Did you really just type that?

Joy: 🍜

  
  
  


Seulgi yawns as she stuffs the last chunk of matcha croissant into her mouth and waves at Krystal who has just walked in.

‘What are you getting done today?’ 

‘Nothing, just here to watch Howl’s Moving Castle with Joy, can you believe she’s never seen it?’

‘She’s NEVER SEEN IT?’

‘Exactly my reaction.’

‘Thank you for exposing her to the “joy” of Studio Ghibli!’

‘Oh god was that a pun?’

‘N-no.’

‘Seungwan is definitely rubbing off on you.’

‘Seungwan is not!’

‘I’m not what?’

Seulgi and Krystal both turn to the door, to find Seungwan staring bemusedly at them, holding a pot with the tiniest tree Seulgi has ever seen. It’s flowers are so vivid that Seulgi has trouble associating it with the size of the tree.

‘Morning!’

‘Morning.’

‘What are you doing here this early?’ Seulgi moves forward and extends her arms, wanting to help Seungwan with her tiny, colourful burden. 

Seungwan shakes her head with a cheeky smile and Seulgi tries not to pout as she drops her hands and her head. ‘I’m here for a tattoo.’

Seulgi snaps her neck up so fast, the bones crack. ‘A tattoo?’ She smiles, broad and beaming, feels her eyes start to crinkle and can’t help but bounce in place a little. ‘I can help with that!’

Seungwan’s smile dims a little. ‘Seulgi…’

‘It’s ok if you don’t have an appointment! I’ve always got time for you!’

Seungwan steps forward to give her a brief one-armed hug, other arm still crading the pot securely. Seulgi is so stunned she barely has time to hug back before Seungwan pulls back and nearly misses Seungwan’s next words.

‘That’s sweet, but I actually have an appointment.’

‘You do?’ Seulgi is confused, she’d been checking her schedule before Krystal had walked in and there’s no Seungwan pencilled in anywhere.

‘It’s with Joy.’

‘Oh.’ Seulgi’s heart feels strange all of a sudden. Like she’s had three iced coffees and it’s deciding whether it wants to skip a beat or stop altogether. 

There’s a soft clink. And then Seungwan has both her arms around Seugi’s waist and is leaning into her. Seulgi blinks, wrapping her brain around the situation before draping her arms over Seungwan’s shoulders and letting her fingers graze the ends of Seungwan’s hair. Seungwan noses beneath her jaw, and Seulgi’s heart decides.

It skips a beat.

Her hands rise until they’re resting on the curve of Seungan’s shoulders, fingers gently caressing the fine hairs at the base Seungwan’s neck. ‘You seem to do this a lot.’

Seungwan’s ‘I like it here’ Is muffled against the fabric of her jumper and Seulgi smiles and pulls her in closer.

There’s a booming clap right next to their ears and she can hear Seungwan grumble in displeasure

‘Hey!’ Seulgi covers Seungwan’s ears with her hands and turns to glare at Joy.’

‘Kindy unhand my client, we have art to make.’ Joy crosses her arms and levels Seulgi with her ‘I’m-getting-down-to-business glare’, tapping her foot impatiently until she reluctantly removes her hands from Seungwan.

Seungwan retrieves her small plant in a large pot and leans up to peck Seulgi on the cheek before she follows Joy behind the screen.

Seulgi’s jaw drops. 

Did Seungwan just? Kiss? Her cheek? Did Seungwan just kiss her cheek? Did her late nights marathoning tv shows finally catch up to her? Is she finally beginning to hallucinate?

‘Am I dreaming?’ 

‘Clearly not, or I wouldn’t be here.’

She turns to Krystal. ‘What are you going to do now that Joy is gone?’

‘Wait for her to get back.’

She sits with Krystal and they watch as Joy and Seungwan gesture animatedly, with Joy holding up various sketches up for Seungwan’s approval and Seungwan pointing out various sections of her plant to Joy.

They finalised a design and Joy pencils Seungwan in for next week.

Seungwan: [sends image of her tiny plant in large pot]

Seulgi: Is that a bonsai?

Seungwan: Yep! It’s my wisteria and it finally bloomed!

Seulgi: It’s pretty! 

Seungwan: As pretty as me!? 🤨

Seulgi: Never!

Seungwan: That’s what I thought 😌

Seulgi: ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡

Seungwan: 🤲

Seulgi: ʕ ꈍᴥꈍʔ

Seungwan: Has anyone told you you’re very cute when you blush?

Seulgi: ajdadsa? WHHATT?

Seungwan: You’re very cute when you blush.

Seulgi puts down her phone to muffle her squeals with her pillow. And if she kicks her legs a little, nobody has to know

 _Seungwan_ thinks she is cute. 

Seungwan thinks _she_ is cute

Seungwan thinks she is _cute._

‘Seungwan? Seungwan?’

Seulgi pops her head into Shon’s Flowers. There’s a buy-one-get-one-free deal at that pastry place that she loves and she’s got a blueberry danish with Seungwan’s name all over it. She knows Seungwan’s bit of a workaholic and will just forget to eat until she gets home. 

Seungwan’s back is facing her, hunched over something Seulgi can’t see.

‘Seulgi!’ Seungwan sounds shocked to see her, whirling around and concealing something behind her back.

‘Seungwaaaaan! Whatchu hiiiiding?’ Seulgi skips until she’s right in front of Seungwan, danish in paper bag swinging wildly from her hands, cheshire grin spreading across her face. 

‘N-nothing!’ Seungwan’s eyes are wild and there’s a flush rising in her cheeks.

Seulgi stalks closer, and Seungwan steps back. Seulgi moves forward again and Seungwan backs up against the counter with a small squeak.

Seungwan is staring up at her with slightly glazed eyes and Seulgi leans forward, leans until their faces are dangerously close. She’s so close she can hear Seungwan’s breath hitch, so close she swears she can hear Seungwan’s heart rate pick up. 

Seulgi drags her tongue over her lips and watches as Seungwan’s eyes glaze over. She’s so cute, Seulgi can’t help but tease. 

‘Seungwan, what are you hiding?’

‘Hnn?’

Seungwan’s eyes are fixated on her lips. 

Seulgi leans in, closer still, leans until her lips almost brush Seungwan’s, before tilting her head slightly and grazing the edge of a pierced ear, ‘What are you hiding?’

Seungwan gasps before whacking Seulgi’s shoulder, ‘Kang Seulgi that was mean!’

‘What was mean?’

‘You know what you did!’ Seungwan is blushing and avoiding her eyes and Seulgi just wants to coo.

‘I am unaware of what you speak of?’

‘I thought you were gonna ki-kill me with the element of surprise!’ Seungwan’s voice hitches over the ‘k’ and Seulgi wonders, if Seungwan would mind?

Would Seungwan mind if she kissed her? Does Seungwan feel whatever it is that makes her chest ache and her mouth curve into a smile? Does Seungwan want this as much as she does?

She stares at Seungwan’s blush-stained cheeks and disappointed slump, and Seulgi knows.

She knows that Seungwan wants this too.

‘Seungwan, I-’

‘Close your eyes!’

‘What?!’

‘Close! Your! Eyes!’

‘Why?’

‘I have a surprise and I don’t want to spoil it before it’s ready!’

‘Why should I?’

‘I’ll give you a kiss if you do!’

Kiss? What? Is what Seulgi thinks.

‘Kiss? Yes.’ Is what Seulgi says.

‘Close your eyes then!’

Seulgi’s eyes close without her input and the world goes dark around her. She hears Seungwans steps, the creaking of the storage room door, muffled movement, and then Seungwan’s steps getting closer. 

‘You can open your eyes now.’

Seulgi open her eyes and Seungwan is there. Right in front of her. Pinked-cheeked and close and worrying her lower lip between her teeth. She drags the pad of thumb over the lower curve of Seungwan’s lip unthinkingly, stopping when Seungwan looks up at her in shock.

Her hand drops to her side.

‘So about that kiss...’

Seungwan steps forward suddenly, a cascade of hair and sunshine smile getting closer and closer and Seulgi closes her eyes in anticipation. There’s a brief, gentle softness against the tip nose, and then Seungwan pulls back.

‘Hey that was mean!’ Seulgi tries to be shocked and appalled, but her heart feels like it’s been bungee jumping and now the recoil is about to hit.

‘You started it!’ Seungwan sticks her tongue out before running out the door.

‘Come back here and kiss me properly!’ 

‘Make me!’

Seulgi: You owe me.

Seungwan: What? Tea?

Seulgi: No, a kiss.

Seungwan: 💋

Seulgi: Not like that

Seungwan: How then?

Seulgi: YOU KNOW HOW?

Seungwan: I don’t know how

Seulgi: You don’t know how to kiss?

Seungwan: Nope, guess you gotta give me a demonstration.

Seulgi: ahshgd ahdahassddasff usf

Seungwan: Is that a yes?

Seulgi: IT'S A MAYBE

Seungwan: Tt's not a no

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Joy is inking Seungwan today and Seulgi is more jittery than she should be.

Krystal ends up getting ice coffee for the both of them and Seulgi hopes that her heart can take it. It tends to malfunction with Seungwan around.

She sprawls herself on the table next to Krystal, who’s got her Macbook open and is editing some sort of chiaroscuro looking thing. She uncaps her fineliner, tries to focus on her geometric succulent design and not to stare at Joy and Seungwan’s flickering silhouettes.

Then she hears Seungwan’s familiar giggle and gives up on doing anything productive. She begins to doodle absentmindedly. She thinks of Seungwan’s laugh and Seungwan’s eyes and the way Seugwan’s warmth had been so tantalising close and before she knows it, Seungwan takes form on her page. 

The lines aren’t her usual tattoo design lines. There’s a sweep and thickness, usually only present in her pencil sketches, and Seulgi has no idea how she managed it with fineliner. Seungwan smiles from her sketchbook and Seulgi can’t help but trace the curve of her nose and the bow of her lips and-

‘You are not being subtle.’ 

Seulgi looks up but Krystal isn’t even looking at her, too busy adding what looks to be her 100th layer. Seulgi really hopes she saves her work regularly. 

‘How are you doing that?’

‘I can feel your pining energy from here.’

‘You cannot.’

‘I can.’

‘Don’t take it too hard. She’s a florist.’

Seulgi squints at Krystal, who raises a brow without looking at her. ‘And?’

‘Joy does florals. ’

Seulgi lets out a soft ‘oh.’ Seungwan is a florist, Joy does florals, of course she’d go to Joy. There’s no point overthinking it. She cannot believe she forgot Joy specialises in florals. 

Joy’s (conspicuously loud) voice cuts through the room. ‘Oh your bra is so pretty!’

‘Thanks! It was on sale!’ Seungwan says, at a much more natural volume.’

Seulgi chokes on her deep breath and it comes out like a wheeze.

‘Mine is Blanc & Eclare and I did not get it on sale. Not that anyone is asking.’ Krystal mutters from behind her mac.

Seulgi takes this god-given opportunity and flips the pages of her sketchbook over. Hopefully she’ll draw something non-Seungwan related.

There’s a yelp from behind the screen and both their heads turn. ‘Whoops, sorry didn’t warn you the gel was going to be cold, my bad.’

‘It’s fine, it’s cold but relaxing.’

‘Good, now let's get down to business!’ Seulgi hears whirring and knows that Joy’s about to start.

She stands her sketchbook up to hide her phone from view and begins to text.

Seulgi: Is Joy about to defeat the huns?

Seungwan: No, just about to make an inked woman out of me.

Seulgi: Are you as swift as the coursing river? With all the force of a great typhoon? Will all the strength of a raging river? Mysterious as the dark side of the moon?

Seungwan: Yes to all of those things and more. Also ouch this was not what I expected.

Seulgi: Does it hurt? ʕ ´•̥̥̥ ᴥ•̥̥̥`ʔ

Seungwan: It’s not too bad, don’t worry.

Seulgi: Good! Don’t want you to be in too much pain! ʕ´•ᴥ•`ʔ 

Seungwan: Seulgi, this is Joy, stop making her smile, it's making her skin shift. I’m confiscating her phone. 

Seulgi glares at her phone and angrily turns it over so that it’s screen-down on the table. Stupid Joy, confiscating Seungwa’s phone. Stupid Joy, telling her that she’s making Seungwan smile.

Seulgi begins to doodle on a new sheet and lets her mind go wild. There’s a hamster resting beneath a tree. A bear eating bear-shaped cookies. A cat and chicken chasing each other in circles outside a Starbucks. The cat and bear sitting in the rain with an umbrella on the grass next to them.

And what might be her most emotionally-charged doodle yet, a chicken with ridiculously long legs trussing up a teeny, tiny hamster, throwing it into a sack and then riding off into the sunset with a sad bear reaching it paws out. 

Then there’s various attempts of the bear attempting to free the hamster. And failing.

It’s a little Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner-esque. And Seulgi is both impressed and terrified of the creative powers of her mind. 

‘This is really cute.’ Seungwan says.

‘Take it, like you took my heart.’ Seulgi says, before her brain catches up with her heart.

‘What?’ 

‘Here you go!’ Seulgi shoves the drawing into Seungwan’s hands and flees to the backroom.

  
  
  


Seungwan: Look at this

Seulgi stares at her phone. Stares and stares and stares. Seungwan had framed her hamster kidnapping sketches. And hung them on her bedroom wall. At least that’s where Seulgi thinks it is, she can see the edge of a pillow in the corner in the photo.

Seulgi: I’m flattered.

Seungwan: Not as flattered as I am, I assure you. 

Seulgi: Are you super sure? 

Seungwan: I am. 

Seulgi: ʕ˵·ᴥ·ʔ

Seungwan: 🐹

Seulgi: IS THAT A HAMSTER?

Seungwan: It is

  
  


V-day is hectic.

Seulgi tattoos heart after heart after heart. She’s tattooed about fifteen couples, thirteen singles and a pair of blonde twins that had looked at each other a little too intensely for her liking.

So far, she’s done twelve geometric hearts, three pairs of matching single line hearts, three pets in hearts and thirty arrow hearts with varying names inside. She can see the line outside Shon’s Flowers and hopes Seungwan isn’t as harried as she is. 

It’s her scheduled lunch break and she drags herself into the back room and slumps over the table in relief. Her phone’s been vibrating all morning and now she can finally check it.

Seungwan: Heeeeey Seul?

Seungwan: Kang Seulgi?

Seungwan: Miss Seulgi?

Seulgi: Hey! Sorry! Been super busy since we opened! Done 24234234 arrow hearts today!

Seungwan: I can see see that! I’ve always wanted an arrow heart, cliche as they are. Been the same for me too!

Seulgi: Wassup?

Seungwan: Super swamped, but do me a favour?

Seulgi: Anything for you!

Seungwan: I could be asking for a kidney you know!

Seulgi: Left or right? I have a cooler full of ice and can bring it over right now! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ🧠

Seungwan: Isn’t that a brain?

Seulgi: It’s not like they have an assorted selection of organ emojis...

Seungwan: Fair, but yes, come over after you close? I need your help with something!

Seulgi: ᕦʕ •ᴥ•ʔᕤ Like I said, anything for you!

Seungwan: See you later!

Seulgi: See you!

Seungwan: 💘

Seulgi: You wound me

Seungwan: 🩹

Seulgi snorts at the arrow heart. Well at least she has something to look forward to after what looks to be a long, long day tattooing super cute couples.

‘Seungwan?’ Seulgi steps inside Shon’s Flowers and squints. Someone had turned all the store lights off. 

‘Close your eyes and come with me!’ Seulgi barely makes out Seungwan’s familiar silhouette before she’s being dragged through the darkness. She closes her eyes.

She lets Seungwan direct her, letting herself be dragged into the storeroom, hearing the creaking door shut behind her. 

‘Are you sure you didn’t want a kidney?’

‘Open your eyes!’

Seulgi opens her eyes.

Someone had also draped strands of fairy lights all over the interior. There’s strings of baby blue and pale yellow illuminating the room like electronic fireflies and Seulgi feels her breath hitch when she spots Seungwan.

She’s holding a familiar bear-head shaped pot. It contains a single, miniature sunflower and Seulgi can’t help the rush of affection that pierces her.

‘It took some...less than ethical flower experimentation but here we are! Your favourite flower! But fun-sized!’ Seungwan is beaming, wide and bright and all encompassing. Seulgi knows that sunflowers face the sun, and if there’s no sun, each other, but if she were a sunflower, she’d look at Seungwan and never turn away.

Seungwan moves to hand her the pot and Seulgi cradles it in her palms. It’s a single flower, yellow and orange and brown and green, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a manifestation of Seulgi and Seungwan and Seungwan and Seulgi and god, it’s the most beautiful flower she’s ever seen. 

‘Do you like it?’ Seungwan asks, there’s a glint in her eyes and a tug at her lips and Seulgi’s heart colours itself in yellows and greens. 

‘I love it. My favourite flower, fun-sized.’ 

‘Good.’ 

‘Do me a favour, real quick?’ Seulgi takes a step toward Seungwan who looks at her quizzically.

‘Sure?’

‘Hold this for me.’ Seulgi hands the pot back to Seungwan who takes it with a confused furrow to her brow.

‘You just said you loved it and now you’re giving it back?’ She looks up at Seulgi, expectant.

‘I keep wanting to kiss you when you’re holding flowers, might as well continue the trend.’ Seulgi’s fingers slip into the loops of Seungwan’s jeans to tug her forward, when they’re pressed as close as they can be with the sunflower between them, she slides them to rest on the flare of Seungwan’s hips.

Seungwan stretches up toward her, pressing so close that Seulgi can see her eyelashes flutter like dandelion seeds, so close she can taste Seungwan’s breath on her lips. ‘Do you want to kiss me now?’

Seulgi kisses her then. 

She presses her lips against Seungwan’s forehead.

She hears Seungwan’s inhale, feels her draw the air between them into her lungs.

She pressed her lips against Seungwan’s cheek. 

Seungwan’s understanding ‘oh’ vibrates between them.

She presses her lips against the tip of Seungwan’s nose.

And a vase slams into her chest.

Seulgi recoils backward and slams her back into the door.

‘Kang Seulgi, you goddamned tease.’ Seungwan’s stormy, narrowed eyes paralyse her, stopping her where she stands, so that all she can do is watch as Seungwan gently places the sunflower on a nearby rack.

Then Seungwan is surging forward, seething and turbulent, grasping and wanting, and all she can do is gasp as Seungwan pins her against the door and slots their mouths together. 

Seungwan kisses her and Seulgi feels it like an arrow through the heart. 

Bonus:

@ink_in_your_area

[Valentine's Dinner With A Beautiful Woman]

@bbt.bbt: YOUR DATE IS KRYSTAL?

@sunflora: wbk, babe

@bbt.bbt: I NEVER KNEW?

@lil_jung: f

@ink_in_your_area: "babe"? what is this?

@bbt.bbt: our connection it's [crackling sounds]

* * *

This fic is dedicated to my crush, N, who I got over whilst writing this, because it took forever and a day. 


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